Scugog mother seeks help finding son's killer

Dottie Croft hoping community will help expand reward fund

Scugog mother seeks help finding son's killer

Celia Klemenz / Metroland

PORT PERRY -- Dottie Croft clutched a photo of her son Randall 'RJ' Statler, on January 14. Randall was shot and killed on December 16. Ms. Croft is appealing for donations to help find her son's killer. January 14, 2013

PORT PERRY -- A heartbroken Scugog mother is asking the community for help to find her son's killer.

Randall Statler Jr. was murdered on Dec. 16 after a brief confrontation with a woman outside a convenience store in Cartersville, Georgia, where he lived. He just turned 28 five days earlier.

What exactly happened that night is unclear. All Dottie Croft knows is an unknown gunman shot her son once in the back of his head, leaving him laying dead beside his truck.

His cellphone, GPS unit and watch were never found and the local cops have no leads in the case, said a tearful Ms. Croft.

I was supposed to go to see him, but instead I had

"I was supposed to go (on Dec. 20) to see him, but instead I had to go to a funeral," she said on Monday.

Ms. Croft moved to Port Perry from Yonkers, New York about 12 years ago. Her son never lived in Scugog, but he stayed for a six-month visit four years ago and immediately fell in love with the community. He had lived in Georgia for 25 years where he worked in construction.

"He loved it here," said Ms. Croft, smiling at the memories of her son snowmobiling and ice fishing. "In just six months he made so many friends here, that's just the kind of guy he was. No matter where he went, he made friends."

There's currently a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case and Ms. Croft is hopeful that her new home community will chip in a few dollars to raise the reward -- and perhaps find a killer.

From the information she's pieced together, Ms. Croft said her son had gone out "mudding" in his truck prior to his death and had stopped at a convenience store and car wash on his way home.

Witnesses say he got into an argument with a blonde woman around 7 p.m. and a SUV or truck was seen leaving the area after the confrontation.

Mr. Statler was later discovered dead around 11 p.m.

"It's been almost a month and there's been nothing. No information," said Ms. Croft, who keeps busy scouring the Internet for any information that may lead to her son's killer.

"He was always smiling. He was such a friendly guy," said Ms. Croft. "He always tried to help the helpless, my son. If he saw you sitting on the street and hungry, he would go and buy you something to eat. He was that kind of guy."

Contributions to the reward fund can be directed to Royal Bank transit number 03962, account number 003-506-571-9.